Golf club



July 22, 1941.

N. P. VICKERY GOLF CLUB Filed Juhe s, 1953- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Flciz. j-QM7INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

22, 1941. N. P. VICKERY GOLF CLUB Filed June 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented July 22, 1941 GOLF CLUB Norman P. Vickery, Brockton, Mass.,assignor to The American Fork & Hoe Company, Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application June 6, 1933, Serial No. 674,530

15 Claims.

My present invention relates to golf clubs, and is primarily directed tothat type or class of golf clubs provided with flexible tubular metallicshafts.

A golf club may be likened, for comparison, to a baseball pitcher's arm.If the pitcher did not have flex in his elbow, he would be unable tothrow a ball ,withsatisfactory speed, and the flexibility of thepitchers wrist also contributes to the accuracy and speed of the thrownball.

Golf club shafts with which I have, in the past, been quite familiarcommonly have a flexible lower region, ,thus corresponding to theflexible wrist of the baseball player's arm. Heretofore, it has been thecommon belief that the medial region of the length of a golf club shaftshould be equally or more non-responsive to bending forces than theportion of the shaft immediately below such region. I have found thatbetter results are obtained by so constructing the shaft that suchmedial region is made comparatively substantially more flexible than thenext adjacent lower portion.

An object of the present invention, therefore, resides in soconstructing a golf club shaft as to simulate the flexible articulationof the human arm, which flexes both at the elbowand wrist.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved shaft for golfclubs, wherein the shaft is so formed as to'be more susceptible tobending in the generally middle portion of the shaft length, than in theportion thereof which is disposed adjacent thereto and proceeding for asubstantial distance towards the tip end of the shaft.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved golf club shaftof the character of that of the preceding object and wherein the shaftis so formed in the region of its golf club supporting end or tip, as tomake the relatively lower region of the shaft length more flexible thanthe substantial portion of the shaft length which is disposed above it,and the above re ferred to medial region, which, likewise, is moreAnother object of my invention is to provide an improved golf clubshaft, wherein the shaft is provided with two longitudinally spacedrelatively more flexible portions than a substantial portion of thelength of the shaft, disposed between them, and in which the lowermostflexible region of the shaft length, disposed closely ad- Jacent thegolf club end of the shaft, is the more flexible of the two flexibleregions.

Other objects of my invention reside in the 55 particular constructionand arrangement of my novel clubs and shafts, and other obiectsof theinvention, and the invention itself, will more readily be understood byreference to the fol lowing description of certain embodiments thereof,reference being had therein to the drawings,

illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention, wherein: y

In Fig. 1, I show partly in longitudinal medial section a golf clubshaft with the club head and hand grip aflixed to the lower and upperends, respectively, said shaft being formed of a single piece of steeltubing and being of circular crosssectional form throughout and providedin its medial region with a section of reduced diameter;

In Fig. 2 is illustrated the shaft only, otherwise like that of Fig. 1,but shown in exaggerated resiliently bent form to indicate the natureand relative amounts of bending in different portions form, beingdistinguished therefrom, however, in

that all main and medial reduced sections of the shaft of Fig. 1, are inthe embodiment of Fig. 2 made of tapered form;

Figs, 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a shaft which is another embodiment of myinvention: Fig. 4 being in side elevational view, Fig. 5 being partly inlongitudinally medial section, and Fig. 6 showing the shaft inexaggerated bent form after the manner of Fig. 2. The shafts of Figs. 4and 5 5, are shown as having upper hand grip wrap-- pings, and alowermost club head afllxed thereto:

Fig. '7 is a view in longitudinal medial section of a shaft otherwiselike the shaft illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, which illustrateportions of the 40 shaft length as being of generally cylindrical form,Fig. 7 being distinguished therefrom in that all portions of the shaftlength, in the embodiment of Fig. 7, are shown as being made tapered. InFig. 7, by dotted lines, a-hand grip and a club head are indicated onthe upper and lower ends of the shaft.

Referring now to the drawings, the shafts of Figs. 1 and 2, which areone embodiment of my invention, comprise joined substantiallycylindrical portions I, 2 and 3, of abruptly changing diameters, and areillustrated as being constructed of a single piece of steel tubing. At amedial point in said shaft, intermediate the grip and the head, there isprovided a step-down or decreased-diameter portion 2, relative to shaftdisposed section use of wood or iron heads in the shaft portions l andbe stiffer over a portions disposed above and below it, thus permittinggreater resilient compression and stretching of the metal of the shaftwhen subiected to bending stresses in this medial region of the shaftlength.

.The shaft of Figs. 1 and 2, havln vthe medially 2 of substantiallyreduced diamshaft to be provided with shouleter, causes the the twoextremities of said diaders l and I, at.

. metrically reduced region where the said shaft bending than elsewhereis more susceptible to throughout the length of the shaft.

In Fig. 2 the extreme lower end of the shaft of Fig. 1 is illustratedasprovlded with the usual slight taper, this being for the purpo e offitting in the commonly shank of the club head 6.

Fig. 3 illustrates a shaft which is a second embodiment of my inventionwhich is quite similar to that of Fig. 1, except that all sections ofthe shaft of Fig. 3 are tapered, whereby the flexin of the shaft, perunit oflength, is somewhat more distributed, being accentuated wherevergreatest in the the diameters are less, and being region 2' in the lowerregion of the shaft length. The shaft of Fig. 3, having all sections I,2

in Fig. 8, which also shows that, in play, there is very little bend tothe hand grip supporting portion II, which, quite commonly, is heldintermediate its ends, and that, the portion II is less susceptible tobending than the portion 0 disv above, and the portion ll, disposedbelow said intermediate portion ll.

In the embodiment of my invention, illustrated in Fig. 'l, I show ashaft otherwise like that of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, except that I have shownthe portions l0, 0 and it as being tapered more in accordance with thecommon practice in the making of golf clubs, which commonly tapertapered bore, of the hosel or and 3' tapered, is progressively reducedin diameterfrom the extreme hand grip shaft end to the junction of theportions 2' and 3', where an abrupt increase in diameter is effected toproduce shoulder I. The shoulders 5 and 5' of the shaftsof Figs. 1 and3, respectively,represent, what I call, the extreme upper end orterminus The shafts of of the lower shaft portions 3 and 3'respectively.

Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, are of types which I personally prefer to usein play,

when employing the golf clubs commonly called '"irons," the shafts ofwhich are commonly shorter in length than are clubs commonly calledwoods. Woods" and "irons" are commonly so called because of the shaftsin "irons" commonly vary from 35 inches to 39. inches in length,commonly vary from length in golf clubs for The shaft of Figs. mediallydisposed. section diameter as compared to adults.

4, 5 and 6 comprises a l of relatively reduced the large diameter of It,disposed above and below said portion 0, and with the lowermost lengthof the shaft also of reduced diameter and tapering downwardly to its tipend I, where the shaft is ofleastdiameter, said shaft alsobeing oflesser diameter in the region immediately. above the club head than inany other part of the shaft disposed upwardly thereof.

the shafts for the.

and the shaft for woods, 40 inches to '43 inches in such clubs. 'The Inthis embodiment of the invention, which reduced sections 9 thepreviously recited analogy. to the elbow of a baseball pitcher's arm.and the reduced lower portion of the section it corresponds to the wristof such arm, the placement of the club heads at the end of such shaftcorresponding generally to the poistioning of the baseball in theplayer's hand supported by the relatively flexible wrist of the player.

In this embodiment I have shown the shaft portions II, 0 and it, asbeing made substantiaily cylindrical, whereby the hand grip may belengthened in diameter, and the portion I! .may longer length than wouldbe the case were the portions It and it made tapered. The accentuatedbending in the portions 9 and H, is illustrated in somewhat exaggeracorrespond, with reference to' tions being interco form 7 5 ters similarto those of ing of the shaft than with a tremendous impact\ -tion, andthe lower from their extreme upper end to their lower end portions. InFig. '7, reference numerals and letv Fig. 4 indicate correspondingportions of the shaft.

Of course, in such a shaft. the progressive reduction in diameter towardthe lower ends, of said tapered portions, makes such portions near theirlower ends somewhat more flexible than the diametrically larger upperend portions, and thus effects a somewhat greater distribution of bendisthe case in the embodiments of Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

Having thus described my invention in different embodiments, I haveherein shown that in each instance in the present application, where Ihave illustrateda cylindrical main.- portion of the shaft, it will beappreciated that this may be tapered if desired, or any degree desired,together with corresponding tapered reduced portions, within'the scopeof my present invention.

It will be apparent, however, that, as the player swings a golf club ofthe present invention, the head of the club will swing in to meet theball and driving power. Furthermore, the tendency of the shaft to assumethe oppositeiiex or bend to that diagrammatically shown in Figs. 2 and7, on the followthrough, will impart still further initial driving powerand velocity to the ball. As a matter of fact, this latter feature is animportant char acteristic of each and every one of the clubs illustratedand described in this application.

while I have herein illus ted tubular golf club shafts as made by thedrawing of a single metallic golf club shaft having a itsupperendandatipatits shaft-being of circular cross secectedby a shoulder outwardlyprotruding from the upper portion and affording the upper terminus forthe lower porportlon immediately below the shoulder tapering therefromto a minimum diameter in thetip region, and the minimum diameter of thelower portion being less than the minimum diameter of the upper portionin the region adjacent the shoulder.

2. A tubular metallic golf club shaft of uniform cross sectional shapethroughout its length, comprising an upper portion carrying the handleor grip and tapering downwardly to a medial region at which the metal ofthe shaft wall is abruptly bulged outwardly in symmetrical relation tothe axis of the shaft, thereby forming an annular stiffening shoulder;and a lower portion tapering downwardly from a maximum diameter at saidshoulder toward its opposite or tip end.

3. A tubular metallic golf club shaft having ous club head supportingupper and lower pora grip portion at its upper end and a tip at itslower end, said shaft having contiguous upper and lower portions ofcircular cross section throughout, and said upper and lower portionsbeing connected in the medial region of the shaft by a portion whichoutwardly protrudes from the upper portion and merges with the upperterminus of the lower portion, said lower portion tapering to a'minimumdiameter in the tip region.

4. A tubular metallic golf club shaft having a' grip portion at itsupper end and a tip at its lower end, said shaft being of circular crosssection throughout and comprising an upper portion and a lower portion,both of said portions. being tapered in the same general direction, saidupper and lower portions being interconnected by a shoulder outwardlyprotruding from the upper portion and affording the upper terminus forthe lower portion, the lower portion being of maximum diameter at thecrest of the shoulder and tapering to lesser diameter toward its tipend, and the minimum diameter of the lower portion being less than theminimum diameter of the upper portion in the region adjacent theshoulder.

5. A tubular metallic golf club shaft of uniform cross sectional shapethroughout its length, comprising an upper portion carrying the handleor grip and progressively downwardly decreasing in diameter to themedial region at which the diameter of the shaft is substantially soabruptly increased as to provide an annular shoulder of the shaft insaid region with the shoulder being dispos d in symmetrical relation tothe axis of the shaft, and a lower portion progressively'decreasing indiameter from a maximum diameter at said shoulder downwardly toward itsopposite or tip end, and a substantial length of the upper part of saidlower portion, including'said shoulder, being of greater diameter andrelatively stifier than corresponding lengths of the shaft dis posedboth immediately above and immediately below it.

6. A tubular metallic golf club shaft having a grip supporting portionat its upper end and a club head supporting tip at its lower'end, saidshaft having contiguous upper andlower portions of circular crosssection throughout and said shaft being substantially abruptly increasedin diameter at the junctionof said upper and lower' portions in themedial region of the shaft length to provide a shoulder of the shaftthereat, said shoulder providing the upper terminus of the lowerportion, said lower portion tapering to a minimum diameter in the regioncomprising said tip. 7. A tubular metallic golf club shaft'having a gripsupporting portion at its upper end and a club head supporting tip atits lower end, said shaft having contiguous upper and lower portions ofcircular cross section throughout, said upper and lower portions beingjoined in the medial region of the shaft and being tapered in the samegeneral direction and said shaft being substantially abruptly increasedin diameter at the junction of said portions whereby said lower portionis provided with an upper terminal region 'tions bjeing interconnecteda. A tubular metallic golf club shaft having a grip supporting portionat its upper end and a tip at its lower end, said shaft havingcontigutions of circular cross section throughout, and said upper andlower portions being connected in the medial region of the shaft, theupper terminal of the uppermost region of said lower portion being ofsubstantially greater diameter than that diameter in the tip region andsaid uppermost region comprising a relatively stiiiened substantialportion of the length of said lower portion and being of greaterdiameter than the portion of the length of said lower portion disposedimmediately below said uppermost region thereof.

9. A tubular metallic golf club shaft having a grip portion at its upperend and a tip at its lower end, said shaft being .of circular crosssection throughout and consisting of an upper portion and a lowerportion; said upper and lower por- I generally medially of the length ofthe shaft, said shaft being substantially abruptlyv increased indiameter at the junction of said upper and lower. portions relative tothe diameter of the shaft in the region above said junction, saidincrease in diameter providing the shaft with a shoulder affording theupper terminus for the lower portion, and the lower portion immediatelybelow the shoulder tapering therefrom to a minimum diameter in thegeneral region of its lower end, and the diameter of a substantialportion of the length of said v length which are relatively spaced fromeach other, the first being provided in the portion of the shaft lengthbetween the hand grip supporting' portion and the longitudinal middleportion of the shaft and the second being positioned between said middleportion and the club head supporting end substantially close to the clubhead supporting end, both of said portions being constructed to be morereadily resiliently bent than the next adjacent portion of the shaftdisposed towards the hand grip supporting end thereof from such shortportion, the portion of the shaft disposed intermediately of said shortportions being substantially free of localized portions of similarlyincreased resiliency.

' 11. A shaft for golf clubs comprising distinct elbow and wristresilient hinge portions positioned generally, respectively, in themiddle longitudinal portion of the length of the club, and adjacent tobut substantially spaced from the club head supporting end. portionthereof, and being elsewhere substantially free of distinct re.-

' silient hinge portions.

12. A tubular metallic golf club shaft of generally tapered constructionthroughout but having a pair of relatively spaced portions of shortlength one positioned substantially close to but spaced from the gripsupporting end portion, the

other positioned substantially close to but spaced from the club headsupporting end portion, said the placement of a hand grip and a clubhead respectlvely on its two end portions, having a distinctcircumferentially reduced resilient hinge vportion of relatively shortlength and disposedsubstantially nearest said hand grip supportingportion, said shaft being additionally weakened to laterally flexingstresses in thatportion of its length disposed closely adjacent its clubhead supporting end.

14. A tubular shaft for golf clubs adapted for the placement of a handgrip and a club head respectively on its two end portions, having adistinct resilient hinge portion of relatively short length provided byweakening the walls of the shaft to laterally directed bending stressesex-' erted upon said portion relative to longitudinally disposedadjacent portions, said hinge portion being disposed substantiallynearest said hand grip supporting portion, said shaft being formed to besubstantially less responsive to bending stresses in the other portionsof its length intermediate said hand grip supporting portion and thatportion of its length disposed mid-way of said supporting portionasaidshaft being additionally weakened to laterally iiexing stresses in thatportion of its length disposed closely adia- 5 cent its club headsupporting end the placement of a hand grip and ldisposed shaft for golfclubs adapted for club head respectively on its two end portions. havinga distinct resilient hinge portion of relatively short length providedby weakening the walls of the shaft to laterally directed bendingstresses exerted upon said portion relative to longitudinally adjacentportions, said hinge portion being disposed substantially nearest saidhand grip supporting portion, said shaft being formed 15. A tubular tobe substantially less responsive to bending stresses in the otherportions of its length intermediate said hand grip supporting portionand that portion of its length disposed mid-way of said supportingportions, said shaft comprising a portion extending from said hingeportion in the direction of the'club head of substantially greaterlength and extending substantially beyond said mid-way portion, saidshaft being additlonall weakened to laterally flexing stresses inthatportion of its length disposed closely adjacent its club head supportingend.

- NORMAN P. VICIERY.

